COUNTDOWN TO 25
IN ANTICIPATION OF OCEAN DRIVE’S 25TH ANNIVERSARY THIS COMING JANUARY, WE TAKE A LOOK BACK AT SOME OF OUR MOST MEMORABLE MOMENTS.
Long before Ocean Drive became known as an international glossy sensation, catering to readers from all over the world, it was a fledgling upstart publication stamping its imprint on Miami Beach in 1993. And so who better to grace the inaugural year’s July Fourth issue than local Miami model Niki Taylor? Shot by photographer Jean Renard at various Miami locations, including The Biltmore and Crandon Park, the four-page swim spread of the blonde cover girl was the first of several Ocean Drive covers for Taylor, including one in 1995 alongside her now late sister, Krissy. Taylor would go on to appear on some of the world’s most prominent titles, and in May 1996, she was featured on the covers of six in the same month: Allure, Vogue, Elle, Marie Claire, Self, and Shape. Other cover stars during that groundbreaking year at Ocean Drive included Claudia Schiffer, Stephanie Seymour, and Gloria Estefan. The legendary “Shot on Site” photos—which are famous today for its depictions of high-octane celebrities, colorful clubs, and nights out on one of the most exciting towns on the planet—started as blackand-whites from joints like News Cafe, Warsaw Bohemia, The Strand, and Bang. It was $28 for a yearlong subscription, and ads inside the magazine ranged from a spread on Estefan’s new all-spanish album, Mi Tierra, to a full-page flyer for club Les Bains, to a small quarter-page ad from Dacra Realty, now known as the dominant force behind the several-billiondollar Miami Design District. Gloria Estefan, beautiful cover models, “Shot on Site,” and Miami Beach? It seems the more things change, the more they stay the same. Stay tuned to Ocean Drive’s next issue for more #OD25 news…